The Secret Behind How to Transition from Co Sleeping to Crib: Be Consistent

When it comes time to encourage baby to stop co-sleeping and catch their Z’s in a space all their own, it can be challenging to figure out how to transition from co sleeping to crib. 

Here’s the most important thing to remember: every family is unique, and so is every co sleeping journey. Though family, friends, or strangers online might swear by one method of transitioning from co sleeping, that doesn’t mean that this is the right method for you. 

baby in babybay co sleeper bedside cribAs you make plans to transition from co-sleeping to crib, take into account your own needs, as well as how your baby’s personality might respond better—or worse!—to different possible ways to stop co sleeping. 

Though there are many parent-loved approaches to transitioning away from co sleeping out there (from going gradually to stopping “cold turkey”), there’s one thing you should keep in mind no matter which strategy you choose—consistency is key. 

Though there are sure to be a few bumps along the road or nights when things just don’t seem to go according to plan, keep at it!

Putting a plan in place and following it closely will help your baby quickly get used to their new nighttime routine. 

Why It’s So Hard to Transition from Co Sleeping to Crib

Have you ever suffered through a night of tossing and turning because you were in an unfamiliar place or sleeping on a mattress that wasn’t your own? 

It’s common for anyone—adults and babies alike—to have a hard time sleeping when they’re getting used to a new sleeping environment or are adjusting to new nighttime sounds. 

Your baby has gotten used to the comfortable feeling of sleeping by your side. Suddenly moving across the room into a crib of their own—or moving into a whole new room of their own—is bound to create some confusion and discomfort during the transition stage. 

(Wondering how to make this transition easier? Check out some of our top tips!)

babybay cosleeper crib annabella_rae

But the more consistent you can be, the easier it will be for your baby to feel comfortable with the new routine you’re setting. 

Though it can be tempting to switch up your method of transitioning from co sleeping when faced with your baby’s discomfort and a night or two of lack of sleep, it’s important to hold strong!

By outlining your goals ahead of time and being clear about what method you’ve chosen and why you believe it’s the one that will best support your baby’s transition, you’ll be able to roll over all those bumps and help baby get used to their new routine. 

How Bedside Co Sleepers Help Ease the Transition from Co Sleeping to Crib

Luckily, families who have been co sleeping with the help of a bedside co sleeper like the babybay might have an easier time transitioning baby away from their bedside. 

Because your baby is already familiar with the feel of their baby co sleeper, they won’t have to get used to a new sleeping space—they’ll just have to get used to a new distance from you. 

With a conversion kit, you can easily transform your bedside co sleeper into a standalone baby bassinet that you can gradually move across the room. 

Before you know it, your baby will be sweetly exploring dreamland all night long, even when you’re not right by their side. 

The Key to Transitioning from Co Sleeping to Crib: Be Consistent 

You’ll hear this advice again and again, and for good reason—keeping consistent is the most important thing you can do to help baby feel confident and comfortable as they get used to their new nighttime routine. 

Some experts recommend putting an “our bed is off limits” rule in place for the first three months after they’ve stopped co sleeping. This means that baby is not invited onto their mattress at all—even for nap times or cuddling—until they’ve had enough time to adjust to sleeping in a space all their own. 

It makes sense that many parents find this an effective tactic to stop co sleeping. Your baby is still too young to logically understand why cuddling at 10am is totally fine, but sleeping by your side at night is off-limits. 

newborn cosleeper babybay

Keeping your baby completely away from your bed until they have fully adjusted to their new nighttime routine can help deliver sounder nights of comfortable and confident sleep for them—and you!

Of course, if you’ve been co sleeping with the help of a bedside co-sleeper, then baby is likely well-prepared to take on the challenge of adjusting to a new sleeping space. 

Because they’re already used to being comfy and cozy on a mattress all their own, they won’t have as much trouble leaving your bedside behind (especially if you’re simply transforming your trusted bedside sleeper into a baby bassinet that baby gets to continue to happily sleep on all night long!).

Which means when it’s time to figure out how to transition from co sleeping to crib, you can be confident that your baby is well-prepared for the journey ahead.

What babybay Reviews Have to Say: The Pros That Parents Love

Plastic netting, cheap fillers, screws made of plastic that seem like they can barely hold your baby crib up: so many baby products on the market these days (not to mention bassinets, co-sleepers, and cribs!) are built to be short-lived and quickly outgrown. But from the first day that the babybay bedside sleeper was born as an idea, we’ve strived to do things differently. Whether it’s the 100% solid beechwood construction, first-class safety certifications, or sustainability pledge that keeps parents in love with their bedside sleeper for a long time, this is what the babybay reviews have to say about what makes them choose babybay time after time (and kid after kid!).

Babybay Bedside Sleeper Safety: All the Details on the Top-Earned Safety Certifications 

“BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN CO-SLEEPING AND CRIB SLEEPING

I have heard so many wonderful things about the BabyBay bedside sleeper from friends and peers, so I am really excited to try it out myself. I love that it’s made from natural materials (hooray for no plastics), and that it bridges the gap beautifully between co-sleeping and crib sleeping.”

– Alivia, ✩✩✩✩✩

When it comes to ensuring that your baby is sleeping safe and snug all through the first six months of their life, room sharing is the sleep approach recommended time and time again by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).

If that lingo is new to you, room sharing describes the practice of sleeping extra-close to your baby by sharing a room — but not a sleep surface — with your little one.

Bedside co sleepers like the babybay give your little one a made-just-for-them space to get peaceful rest all night long, with safe locking straps that keep their crib securely attached to your bedside. This sleeping arrangement can be especially helpful for a quick response to nighttime wakings and breastfeeding without the risks that come from keeping your baby in your own bed and sleep space (which is why bedside sleepers get such a gold star when it comes to sticking in line with the AAP’s recommendations for safe sleep). Baby holding finger of parent while lounging in babybay bedside co sleeper | babybay bedside bassinets

When it comes to babybay bedside sleeper safety, parents aren’t the only ones raving. The babybay bedside co sleeper has been certified safe by some of the top certification standards, including ASTM International, TĂśV Rheinland, and Confidence in Textiles (where it was awarded an Oeko-Tex Standard 100 Class 1 for babies certification — meaning it’s free of harmful regulated and unregulated toxic substances and materials).

Easy Access and Full Convenience with the Babybay Crib Conversion 

“I looked everywhere for a co-sleeper that was functional, made with natural materials and wasn’t plasticy looking. I loved that i found this! It’s beautiful, works well and seamless to put together. Works everywhere next to our bed.”

– KP, ✩✩✩✩✩

Even if you don’t need a bedside option, the bassinet conversion kit makes it easy for the babybay to be used in any room of the house. Adding the rolling casters adds even more convenience to your babybay crib conversion opportunities by allowing your bassinet to roll from room to room as needed.

The space-saving design of babybay also allows you to easily push it through doorways and find a useful place to put it to good, rest-giving use in any room of your house or apartment. This can be especially handy for parents working at home or in smaller homes with multi-use spaces — and that kind of adaptability isn’t a happy accident, but a convenience-making choice or expert engineers made as they set construction of the first babybay in motion.

Toddler Time: How Your Babybay Original Grows as They Do

“WELL MADE

We just ordered the BabyBay Bassinet for our second baby. It was very easy to put together and is very well made. We wish we had this for our first born. I recommend this bassinet over all the plastic flimsy ones on the market. I plan to reuse this as a bench or desk in the kids room once they grow out of it. I am so happy I came across their product!”

– Tiffany, ✩✩✩✩✩

Parent watching baby sleeping in babybay bedside co sleeper | babybay bedside bassinets

As your little one becomes more independent, the babybay easily transitions into a comfortable space for young children. That means it’s not just built to be with your family during the early days of your little one’s life, but will stick with you for the long-haul as they grow.

Adjusting the sleep space to a low-level makes a lovely bench space for a toddler. Baskets of toys or books easily slide under the platform to make a self-contained area. The comfortable mattress and a few pillows or stuffed animals make for a comfortable snuggle space for looking at picture books or playing with toys.

That means you have everything you need to make a special corner in the nursery or as a small space in the living room where your child can be comfortable and play independently once they grow out of sleeping in their babybay Original, babybay Maxi, or babybay Maxi Tall (which makes this bedside co-sleeper a perfect win-win in the short and long term!).

[See what other parents have to say: more babybay reviews]

From Bedside Sleeper to Bassinet

But now you – Mom – are ready to find a new use for your sleeper. You’d love to use your sleeper and turn it into a freestanding baby bassinet. This may become an enclosed space for your darling little one to simply hang out near you, or nap nearby, during the day or evening.

Well, you can have this, if you already have a bedside sleeper. This wooden guard rail pictured below is all you need to keep your lil’ guy or gal purring happily near you. We call it the Bassinet Conversion Kit, and you can order it separately as an accessory to your babybay bedside sleeper.

babybay bassinet conversion kit

When you’re ready to make this move, it’s simple to convert your babybay bedside sleeper into a bassinet. Simply order our bassinet conversion kit to convert your babybay from a bedside sleeper to a standalone bassinet.

The protective wooden guard rail fits onto the open side of your bedside sleeper. It uses wooden locking clips, so it’s able to withstand any holding and pulling by your baby.

The picture below on the left shows the bedside sleeper with the wooden guard rail being attached. And the image on the right shows you the enclosed space your baby will be in. It’s a win-win for both the baby and the parents.

Using the guard rail to enclose the sleeper and turn it into a convertible bassinet for your baby can help gently move your baby away from the parental bed and further toward naptime sleeping independence after a few months. When that particular independent sleep time period happens is up to the parents to decide, of course. But when the time is right, having the guard rail to convert your sleeper into a bassinet will give you the assurance you need to know your baby always sleeps safely.

It’s easy to add the babybay bassinet conversion kit wooden guard rail to your existing babybay bedside sleeper. Simply add it to your cart on our shopping page, order it, and we’ll ship it to you quickly. Order a bassinet conversion guard rail today, and have relief on seeing your baby sleeping peacefully during the day or night.